My Dirty Laundry

You really want to know about my dirty laundry? Ok, here it is… Cloth diapers. Yes, we use cloth diapers.

About a year and a half ago, if you would have said the words “cloth diaper” to me, I would have pictured poo-stained rags fastened with safety pins – you know, the ones your mom still uses as dust rags – the same ones you’re picturing now. But times have changed and today’s cloth diapers are very different.

First, why use cloth diapers?

Huge cost savings! A stash of 24 diapers and everything we need for laundry cost us about $250 total to last through potty training. That would buy you about 10 boxes of disposable diapers – about the first 2 1/2 months of baby’s life. Using disposables to age 2 will cost you $2,000 on average. See for yourself – check out these charts at All About Cloth Diapers comparing the costs of cloth vs. disposable.

Eco-friendly. There’s no doubt that disposables cause a lot of trash. It takes 550 years for a disposable diaper to deteriorate in a landfill. Did you know you’re not even supposed to dispose of poop in the trash? The chemicals and human waste in diapers sit in our landfills and eventually pollute our water. How does a nice cold glass of dirty diaper water sound? No worries with cloth. Instead of ending up in landfills, cloth diapers can be reused for more children, resold to another family, or repurposed in some way.

Tush-friendly. Lucky for us, we decided to use cloth before Hayley was born, and she has sensitive skin. We used disposables while she was a newborn until she could fit into her cloth diapers, and she had constant diaper rash. When we switched to cloth full-time, the rash went away. You may also consider the fact that several chemicals used in disposable diapers can cause cancer and reproductive health issues later on.

So there’s the truth laid out. We’re a cloth diaper family. Who could resist this adorable fluff butt??

More coming about our adventures in fluff, including everything you need and how to wash cloth diapers.